Urinary incontinence affects many people and is a worldwide health issue. Published research indicates that urinary incontinence presents a substantial social and economic burden worldwide, affecting up to a mean of about 16% of the global population.
Urinary incontinence in women can be associated with a prolapse of one or more pelvic organs, which can arise from child birth or a weakness in the tissues/muscle of the pelvic floor. Urinary incontinence in men can arise after surgical treatment of the prostate gland, which treatment can include removal or weakening of the prostatic sphincter of the urinary urethra.
One treatment for urinary incontinence includes placing an artificial sphincter around a circumference of a portion of the urethra. The artificial sphincter operates to compress the urethra to selectively coapt or stop the flow of urine through the urethra, thus providing the user with a continent state. The artificial sphincter can be activated to an open position by the user, which opens the urethra and allows the user to selectively pass urine.
Surgeons and patients would welcome advances in the treatment of urinary incontinence.